The Houston Rockets drafted De'Anthony Melton in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft and traded him immediately to the Suns. It's time for them to right that wrong and bring him on board as a free agent.
Everyone makes mistakes. NBA general managers are no exceptions. That said, this one has long frustrated Rockets fans. Melton was a steal in the second round. This is like finding a $100 in your wallet and then immediately dropping it in a sewer drain.
It's time to make that money back.
Rockets should reunite with free agent guard
Melton feels like the perfect guard for the 2025-26 Rockets.
He's a career 36.9% three-point shooter, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Melton shot exceedingly poorly for his first two NBA seasons. If you filter those out, Melton has shot 38.1% across five NBA seasons.
The Rockets need shooting, but we know Ime Udoka won't play a weak defender. That won't be a problem for Melton. He's a relentless point of attack defender.
So, he's a solid three-and-D guard who offers some secondary ball-handling. Melton sounds like the perfect addition to this roster. It begs the question:
Why would he be available?
Rockets would be gambling on Melton
That five-season sample of shooting doesn't carry as much weight as it should. Melton is averaging just 49.2 games per season over that stretch. He played 38 games two seasons ago, and last year he managed just six for the Warriors.
Melton is highly injury-prone.
That's a concern. It's also the only reason he'd be available in Houston's price range. If they signed him and he was able to stay healthy, it would be huge for the team.
If he weren't, that wouldn't be a huge deal either.
Melton would be a luxury for the Rockets
The Rockets don't seem compelled to add guards to this roster. By all accounts, they'll run Amen Thompson and Dorian Finney-Smith at the 2. This team is invested in a wing-heavy philosophy.
So if they signed Melton and he got hurt, it would barely change their outlook. That said, if he could stay healthy for them, he'd give them a lot of the skills they're currently lacking without compromising them in the areas they value.
Ultimately, the Rockets likely won't sign Melton. Rafael Stone has signalled that he's happy with this roster, and so he should be. The Rockets are built to win, but they might be able to win a bit more with Melton:
It's time to bring him home.